History

    Park County Search and Rescue was formed in 1992 when a small group of interested individuals held an organizational meeting with the support of the sheriff. Only a very few of the original members had any search and rescue experience, and a slightly larger number had some recreational climbing experience. Almost all were experienced in the outdoors, and many were already volunteers on local fire departments and ambulance services. The original board of directors formed the core of the team for many years, and the original president now serves as the team's Field Director. The core of very active members, while ever-changing, has grown in numbers to about twenty well-trained volunteers, while the entire roster fluctuates between forty and fifty members.

    PCSAR's primary area of operation is Park County, CO. The sheriff has approved PCSAR to provide assistance to other counties when requested. Park County encompasses about 2,200 square miles (larger than Delaware), and includes the geographic center of the State of Colorado. Elevations range from about 8,000' to 14,286', including Mounts Lincoln, Bross, Democrat and Sherman. About 80% of the county is public land, including parts of the Mount Evans, Lost Creek and Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Areas. The Colorado Trail traverses the county. Elevenmile Canyon and Tarryall are popular rock climbing areas within easy reach of Colorado Springs, and the Mount Lincoln Icefall is a popular ice climbing area. Fishing, hunting, ATVs, mountain biking and horseback riding compete with hikers and backpackers in the summer and fall, while snowmobiles compete with skiers and snowshoers in the winter. PCSAR provides the primary response in most of these areas.

    PCSAR has always worked closely with Summit County Rescue Group and Alpine Rescue Team, with whom we share mountainous borders, as well as El Paso County SAR, the closest MRA team to our most popular rock climbing areas. We routinely call upon those teams for mutual aid when required or even likely to be needed, and often provide mutual aid to each of those teams.

    PCSAR averages 50-60 missions a year. The mission load drops off dramatically during the winter months, despite a significant level of winter recreation in the backcountry. The breakdown of missions is typical: 70-75% are lost or overdue; 25-30% are rescues. About half of the calls are resolved with less than a full field response. Fewer than ten per cent of our missions involve a technical rescue or evacuation. In general, the types of calls are also typical of SAR teams throughout the state. Despite our climate and terrain, we have never had an avalanche mission in the county. In addition to typical missions, we do have missions every year on flat water when boats capsize on our four reservoirs.